When you're at Camp Pendleton or the Great Lakes, is there a wide range of procedures to be done or is it more amalgram, typically?

So, if you take AEGD or GPR, is less likely to end up on ship? Also, do a lot of people get stuck in doing a 5th year and would that increase the time of your deployment when you extend?

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i havent been at either Pendleton or GL, but i know that both bases are huge and have multiple clinics. recruit side clinics are going to be heavy with operative and oral surgery. other clinics on the base will have a wider range of procedures to do.

since the AEGD/GPR programs ought to be providing you with advanced training, they also equip you to survive clinically by yourself on a ship. short of getting pregnant or turning yourself into a world-class dirtbag, there isnt much you can do to avoid an operational tour on a ship or with Marines. it is the life of a JO.

as for doing an extension for a 5th year, i dont know. my year group hasnt reached that point yet.

I am sure you have talking about this before, but I figured it would jsut ask anyway.
I am going to be applying for dental school this summer and I was wondering what some of the options are if I am interested in joining the Navy. I know that I can either join in as I begin school or I can wait till I am done with it. What are some of the pros and cons of both.
Thanks much.

Finally, I forgot to ask, how difficult is it to get into a Pedo residency?

Thank you!

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I do not know about the competitiveness. I am not sure if Bethesda has an in service (in the Navy) Pedo residency but you could always apply for out service (meaning civilian residency).

The advantage to a civilian residency is that you still in the Navy but you are actually in a civilian residency. I think that you are still paid your normal salary regardless of in service or out service.

I do know that there are not many pedodontists out in the Navy since there are so few billets (duty stations) for pedodontist and orthodontists.

The residency in Orthodontics is in San Antonio (in the navy) but I know of a few people who got residencies in civilian schools.

I am sure you have talking about this before, but I figured it would jsut ask anyway.
I am going to be applying for dental school this summer and I was wondering what some of the options are if I am interested in joining the Navy. I know that I can either join in as I begin school or I can wait till I am done with it. What are some of the pros and cons of both.
Thanks much.

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There are three routes to join the navy and have the navy pay for some of your education.

1.HPSP
2.HPCP
3.Direct Accession with sign on bonus and HPLRP for loan repayment

HPSP (health professional scholarship program) is a 4 year scholarship which pays for tuition and gives you a stipend. If you only want to do a 4 year career in the Navy, this is probably your best route.
You start off as a LT with under 2 years of service pay wise.

advantage: ALL dental school tuition and books are paid.
disadvantage: You will only be considered a LT with under 2 years of service and will get less money per month than if you signed up for HPCP.
HPCP (health professional collegiate program)

I highly suggest this IF you are planning to do a longer career in the Navy or even thinking of retiring Navy.
You do not get any money for tuition BUT you will be paid as an
E-6 (2176 per month) during those years and will get BAH (housing) and BAS (food)(about another 2000 per month). If you make deans list for 2 consecutive semesters OR you get one of your classmates to sign up for the Navy then you will be paid as an E-7 (chief)(2515 per month)

The disadvantage is that you might have to get supplemental loans to
cover the difference of E-6 pay and tuition.

The advantage is that you are considered active duty in a training environment while you are in dental school. So those 4 years count towards pay and retirement.

You will start getting paid as a LT over 4 years which has a base pay
of 4723 per month vice the other scholarship starts you off as
a LT with under 2 years of service which is 3540. That is almost a 1200
per month difference!!!

The minimum pay back is the same.

The final route is Direct AccessionI did this route since I did not know about HPCP and during my freshmen and sophmore years, I had no interest in the Navy and then 9/11 happened and now I am glad that I join the Navy.

I did 3 year contract and took the 4th year for the 30000 bonus and
then I signed up for the HPLRP (health professions loan repayment program) which pays up to $40000 (minus taxes) per year for every extension of your contract after the initial 4 years.

Alright, thanks for the info. However one of my main worries is that I could be deployed before I finish school. Do any of the programs guarentee that this will not happen?

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the Navy has no interest in ripping you from the throes of dental school for deployment. what would you do? be a dentist? you wouldnt have graduated yet or be licensed (something the Navy is concerned about), so you would be of limited value. plus, the dental corps has every new dentist get a credentialing tour under their belt before going operational.

take home message: you will not be plucked for a deployment while in school.

the Navy has no interest in ripping you from the throes of dental school for deployment. what would you do? be a dentist? you wouldnt have graduated yet or be licensed (something the Navy is concerned about), so you would be of limited value. plus, the dental corps has every new dentist get a credentialing tour under their belt before going operational.

take home message: you will not be plucked for a deployment while in school.

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Obviously I would not become a dentist if I havent even finished the schooling and recieved my license. My fear was that I could be plucked out of school if there was a lack of service people. Your take home message cleared it up. Thanks.

can anyone help with these qs plz?
what are the chances to get a release for civilian endo program right after school? and if you do, do you awe another 2 year on top of your 4? and if you get into the Bethesda program, do you awe another 2 years?

can anyone help with these qs plz?
what are the chances to get a release for civilian endo program right after school? and if you do, do you awe another 2 year on top of your 4? and if you get into the Bethesda program, do you awe another 2 years?

Thanks guys

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I am not sure about right after dental school. But the pay back now for Navy to pay for endo is 3 years for 2 years.

So that would mean (civilian or Bethesda), you will owe 7 total years back to the Navy.

You would need a waiver to delay your admission to full active duty I believe and then once you finish Endo school in the civilian side you will then owe 7 years.

Does the amount of time left on your contract have any affect on your ability to get a specialty slot. For instance, am I more likely to get accepted if I am in the last year of my contract so that they get to keep me for so many extra years vs applying with 2 or 3 years left on my contract. If the navy has me for 3 more years as a GP, what is the incentive to let me into a specialty program where once completed I will be able to simultaneously pay back my undergrad and residency years.

Does the program you come in with have any bearing on getting a specialty slot, e.g. one might think that someone in HPSC is more likely to be pursuing a military career and would therefore be a better investment for the navy.

Lastly, following specialty training, would I receive shore duty or operationaly duty? Is it different for surgery?

Does the amount of time left on your contract have any affect on your ability to get a specialty slot. For instance, am I more likely to get accepted if I am in the last year of my contract so that they get to keep me for so many extra years vs applying with 2 or 3 years left on my contract. If the navy has me for 3 more years as a GP, what is the incentive to let me into a specialty program where once completed I will be able to simultaneously pay back my undergrad and residency years.

great questions! its good to see some folks catching on to the way you count your contract years. while PRD and EAOS dates are submitted on the paperwork for specialty selection, i do not think it has any great bearing on selection. the Navy really is more interested in producing quality clinicians (esp. in the conventional specialties) than just keeping warm bodies around. the corps is full or older warm bodies that do jack when it comes to real, solid clinical work. it is my understanding from state of the corps briefs that the math would work like this: (using your example) your initial payback would be taking place while you are in training. payback for specialty training will take place after you finish. its not jsut a matter of years left in service. it is also a matter of money, specialty pay, multi-year critical skill retention bounses, etc. none of that kicks in until you complete your training payback.

Does the program you come in with have any bearing on getting a specialty slot, e.g. one might think that someone in HPSC is more likely to be pursuing a military career and would therefore be a better investment for the navy.

none of the paperwork i have ever filled out since coming on active duty has asked which program i matriculated from. im sure a selection board could find out that information, but i dont know why it would be pertinent to being selected for training.

Lastly, following specialty training, would I receive shore duty or operationaly duty? Is it different for surgery?

it depends on your specialty. ortho, endo, perio, peds dont seem have any sort of operational rotation. they just go from shore clinic to shore clinic. i have heard of perio being operational, but only because they requested it. comp dent, and OMFS go operational, along with prosth. carriers have an oral surgeon on board.

Thanks

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these are based on what i have gathered from being around a little while and asking some of the same questions.

thanks mdterp724!
do you know what happens if you decide to break a contract after specialty training? or at any point for that matter. how do you repay what the navy paid for you and what are some of the other repercussions?

thanks mdterp724!
do you know what happens if you decide to break a contract after specialty training? or at any point for that matter. how do you repay what the navy paid for you and what are some of the other repercussions?

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I am not sure about the consequences or if you could even break a contract.

I would think that you would have to "buy out" your contract meaning, they will charge for tuition, room, and board x the amount of years left in your contract.

One of my friends got kicked out of the Naval Academy in his 4th year there and he was forced to pay $200000 for tuition OR become enlisted until debt is paid.

My fiance and I are both in dental school and HPSP. Anyone have any insight into where we might be stationed after graduating (we will be married by that time). We are also interested in doing an AEGD/GPR program. So to recap, we both will be Navy dentists with a 3 year commitment, what does our future look like in terms of being co-located together, or if anyone has any tips for us that would be great, thanks.

My fiance and I are both in dental school and HPSP. Anyone have any insight into where we might be stationed after graduating (we will be married by that time). We are also interested in doing an AEGD/GPR program. So to recap, we both will be Navy dentists with a 3 year commitment, what does our future look like in terms of being co-located together, or if anyone has any tips for us that would be great, thanks.

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You will have to talk to a detailer when you are seniors.
If you do an AEGD or GPR, you would actually end up doing 4 years in the Navy.

You commitment is not being paid back during the AEGD/GPR year.
This changed I think in 2007. Before it counted, now it does not.

If you pick San Diego, Bethesda, or Norfolk, you have a good chance of getting stationed together since those are all big clinics.

If you may not be exactly in the same clinic, you might be in nearby clinics.

I am not sure if this is a Navy rule but usually they do not put two people who are married at the Same clinic.

There are three routes to join the navy and have the navy pay for some of your education.

1.HPSP
2.HPCP
3.Direct Accession with sign on bonus and HPLRP for loan repayment

HPSP (health professional scholarship program) is a 4 year scholarship which pays for tuition and gives you a stipend. If you only want to do a 4 year career in the Navy, this is probably your best route.
You start off as a LT with under 2 years of service pay wise.

advantage: ALL dental school tuition and books are paid.
disadvantage: You will only be considered a LT with under 2 years of service and will get less money per month than if you signed up for HPCP.
HPCP (health professional collegiate program)

I highly suggest this IF you are planning to do a longer career in the Navy or even thinking of retiring Navy.
You do not get any money for tuition BUT you will be paid as an
E-6 (2176 per month) during those years and will get BAH (housing) and BAS (food)(about another 2000 per month). If you make deans list for 2 consecutive semesters OR you get one of your classmates to sign up for the Navy then you will be paid as an E-7 (chief)(2515 per month)

The disadvantage is that you might have to get supplemental loans to
cover the difference of E-6 pay and tuition.

The advantage is that you are considered active duty in a training environment while you are in dental school. So those 4 years count towards pay and retirement.

You will start getting paid as a LT over 4 years which has a base pay
of 4723 per month vice the other scholarship starts you off as
a LT with under 2 years of service which is 3540. That is almost a 1200
per month difference!!!

The minimum pay back is the same.

The final route is Direct AccessionI did this route since I did not know about HPCP and during my freshmen and sophmore years, I had no interest in the Navy and then 9/11 happened and now I am glad that I join the Navy.

I did 3 year contract and took the 4th year for the 30000 bonus and
then I signed up for the HPLRP (health professions loan repayment program) which pays up to $40000 (minus taxes) per year for every extension of your contract after the initial 4 years.

I have a question about the third choice, as I am in the same situation. When applying for dental school, I was aware of the Navy HPSP, but didn't apply due to some personal/family problems. I graduated dental school in 2007 and have since been in a GPR program in New York (now finishing a second year I opted to do which ends June 30, 2009). I am now interested in joining the Navy, but have a question about the loan repayment program. I understand that if you want to go in as an officer, you must be willing to serve three years of active duty, according to what I've seen on the website. Will you get loan repayment (if you apply and sign up for it) during the three years of active duty you decide to go into, or will you not get it until AFTER those three years?

Would greatly appreciate it if you can reply as soon as you can. Thanks for the informative post!

I have a question about the third choice, as I am in the same situation. When applying for dental school, I was aware of the Navy HPSP, but didn't apply due to some personal/family problems. I graduated dental school in 2007 and have since been in a GPR program in New York (now finishing a second year I opted to do which ends June 30, 2009). I am now interested in joining the Navy, but have a question about the loan repayment program. I understand that if you want to go in as an officer, you must be willing to serve three years of active duty, according to what I've seen on the website. Will you get loan repayment (if you apply and sign up for it) during the three years of active duty you decide to go into, or will you not get it until AFTER those three years?

Would greatly appreciate it if you can reply as soon as you can. Thanks for the informative post!

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That is a question that you should ask the Navy. They can better answer the questions.

There is a direct accession bonus for Comprehensive dentists that is
$300,000, I think you have to sign up for a certain amount of years.
I have to verify the exact amount and how many years and get back to you but email the HPLRP first.

I have a question about the third choice, as I am in the same situation. When applying for dental school, I was aware of the Navy HPSP, but didn't apply due to some personal/family problems. I graduated dental school in 2007 and have since been in a GPR program in New York (now finishing a second year I opted to do which ends June 30, 2009). I am now interested in joining the Navy, but have a question about the loan repayment program. I understand that if you want to go in as an officer, you must be willing to serve three years of active duty, according to what I've seen on the website. Will you get loan repayment (if you apply and sign up for it) during the three years of active duty you decide to go into, or will you not get it until AFTER those three years?

Would greatly appreciate it if you can reply as soon as you can. Thanks for the informative post!

the Navy doesnt have a 2 year GPR. the only guys i have run into who are called 'Comp Dents' are graduates of the program in Bethesda. i know there are a several 'operative trained' officers out there, trained at Iowa, Indiana, and Eastman (I think). im not really sure if they qualify as 'comp' as far as bonuses and such...

There is a direct accession bonus for Comprehensive dentists that is
$300,000, I think you have to sign up for a certain amount of years.
I have to verify the exact amount and how many years and get back to you but email the HPLRP first.

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The POC for any questions for the direct accession bonus for comprehensive dentist, Oral Surgeon, Endodontist, and Prosthodontist
is

You can take the bonus lump sum (after taxes) or divided by 4 years. I think you have to sign up for 4 years.

HPSP, HPCP, and HPLRP students do not qualify.

Former Navy dentists must be separated from the Navy for 2 years and not
be in IRR (inactive ready reserve) status. Everybody who joins the Navy are committed to 3-4 years active and 4-5 years IRR making a total of 8 years commitment. IRR is just the reserves but you are inactive NOBODY has been called up from IRR to my knowledge.

Thanks. Yea any active duty members - say if I were to select ship duty, what choice would I have in selecting which ship, if any at all?

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My friends who went on ships were able to work it out with the detailer. He had openings on certain ships and they picked which one they wanted or whatever was left ie CARRIER, LPD, LSD, or LHD. Each has their own + and -

I posted this in the "AF vs Navy" thread but im hoping to get an answer

Ive completed my application for the HPSP Navy scholarship ... does anyone know if my application can also be used for the AF? The application was long and strenuous and I dont know if I can make it through another full application.

I posted this in the "AF vs Navy" thread but im hoping to get an answer

Ive completed my application for the HPSP Navy scholarship ... does anyone know if my application can also be used for the AF? The application was long and strenuous and I dont know if I can make it through another full application.

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I'm guessing no as they have separate applications, however MEPS will be recognized across branches.

I posted this in the "AF vs Navy" thread but im hoping to get an answer

Ive completed my application for the HPSP Navy scholarship ... does anyone know if my application can also be used for the AF? The application was long and strenuous and I dont know if I can make it through another full application.

My friends who went on ships were able to work it out with the detailer. He had openings on certain ships and they picked which one they wanted or whatever was left ie CARRIER, LPD, LSD, or LHD. Each has their own + and -

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Any active duty members who have been on ships - what would you say the pros and cons of your experiences were?

If you have HPSP scholarship and you are not prior enlisted you will be
paid as an O-3 with under 2 years of service

If you have the HPCP scholarship and you are not prior enlisted, you will be paid as an O-3 with 4 years of service.

If you are prior enlisted, you will be paid for your years of service already served as enlisted and be paid as O-3 E (if you served as enlisted for 4+ years) or O-3 (with being enlisted under 4 years). Again depending on your scholarship on whether dental school counts towards pay.

Any active duty members who have been on ships - what would you say the pros and cons of your experiences were?

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I have never been with the marines so I cannot tell you how that would be.
If you take marines, you only deploy if your marine unit deploys.

I was a on a ship for 2 years.
Biggest advantage are the port calls when the ship deploys. If you are going towards the Middle East, you will go to several ports (to/from) the Middle East.

If you are on an East Coast ship, you will go to Europe. If you are on a west coast ship, you will go towards Asia. You go to ports about once every 45 days or so.

The ward room and comraderie are great on ships. You will get to know almost all the officers on the ship.

The biggest con is that you will be away from your family quite often.
Depending on what cycle the ship is in, you could be away from your family
about 50-60% of the time.

Ships usually prepare for deployment for a few months, deploy for 6 months, then do post deployment exercises. It may go to the yards for repairs for a few months afterwards (it is only during this period where you will be mostly shore duty). You will spend around 19 months out of 24 months at sea. Of course you will be away from the US for the six months in the Persian Gulf. The other months, you will go out to sea about 3-5 days at a time. I was at sea for at least 4 days each month for 15 straight months with 180 days straight while I was in the Persian Gulf.

The USS Comfort and USS Mercy are hospital ships and they usually do not go to the Persian Gulf. They tend to do more humanitarian work in South America or Asia. I do not know if you can request these ships.

I have never been with the marines so I cannot tell you how that would be.
If you take marines, you only deploy if your marine unit deploys.

I was a on a ship for 2 years.
Biggest advantage are the port calls when the ship deploys. If you are going towards the Middle East, you will go to several ports (to/from) the Middle East.

If you are on an East Coast ship, you will go to Europe. If you are on a west coast ship, you will go towards Asia. You go to ports about once every 45 days or so.

The ward room and comraderie are great on ships. You will get to know almost all the officers on the ship.

The biggest con is that you will be away from your family quite often.
Depending on what cycle the ship is in, you could be away from your family
about 50-60% of the time.

Ships usually prepare for deployment for a few months, deploy for 6 months, then do post deployment exercises. It may go to the yards for repairs for a few months afterwards (it is only during this period where you will be mostly shore duty). You will spend around 19 months out of 24 months at sea. Of course you will be away from the US for the six months in the Persian Gulf. The other months, you will go out to sea about 3-5 days at a time. I was at sea for at least 4 days each month for 15 straight months with 180 days straight while I was in the Persian Gulf.

The USS Comfort and USS Mercy are hospital ships and they usually do not go to the Persian Gulf. They tend to do more humanitarian work in South America or Asia. I do not know if you can request these ships.

On a smaller ship, Lieutenants might have their own rooms but they usually have one roommate (similar to college dorm)
I was on a carrier and I had to share a room with 5 other people.
Some people had 8 people in a room and this is officers.
There are 3-4 bunk beds per room on a carrier.

If you wanted to go the to the 'green side' out of dental school, what is the probablility that you would actually get that assignment versus a blue billet?

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It depends on what the billet cycle happens to be. Each year, the billets seem to alternate between being heavily blue or heavily green. It also depends on which PGY-1 programs the Navy has going at the time and where they are placing credentialing dentists. Nonetheless, there are always at least some spots available at one of the MCRDs or the bigger Marine camps.

to address an earlier question: my current living quarters on my carrier is sharing a room with the ship's CRNA. none of the other health services officers share a room with more than one person, either. its a much smaller room than any college dorm room i ever had, but we have our own sink. the heads and showers are down the hall and the ship's hotel services takes care of them. no one comes and cleans your room unless you are a department head or very senior (i am neither). the key is to live way down below decks, so that the catapults and arresting gear noise doesnt get down to you.

It depends on what the billet cycle happens to be. Each year, the billets seem to alternate between being heavily blue or heavily green. It also depends on which PGY-1 programs the Navy has going at the time and where they are placing credentialing dentists. Nonetheless, there are always at least some spots available at one of the MCRDs or the bigger Marine camps.

to address an earlier question: my current living quarters on my carrier is sharing a room with the ship's CRNA. none of the other health services officers share a room with more than one person, either. its a much smaller room than any college dorm room i ever had, but we have our own sink. the heads and showers are down the hall and the ship's hotel services takes care of them. no one comes and cleans your room unless you are a department head or very senior (i am neither). the key is to live way down below decks, so that the catapults and arresting gear noise doesnt get down to you.

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Is this cycle known? Odd years vs. even years? Also, do you enter a green or blue billet from graduation of dental school, or would you do it after an AEGD/GPR if that's what you intend to do?

Is this cycle known? Odd years vs. even years? Also, do you enter a green or blue billet from graduation of dental school, or would you do it after an AEGD/GPR if that's what you intend to do?

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it varies from year to year, depending on who got pregnant, who got picked up for training, etc. but since most young O-3 orders are written for 24 months. (overseas is an exception) you can kind of predict which side will be heaviest. this upcoming cycle (FY10) should be fairly heavily blue, especially becasue the Navy has been buying back billets from the Marines.

if you are doing a PGY-1 program, you might want to consider your desires for your follow-on orders. its not a hard and fast rule, but detailers might lean toward leaving you in the geographical area where you alrady are so they dont have to spend their pot of money moving you to your next duty station. (example: AEGD in Pendleton leads to orders with one of the dental battalions out there). im not sure if PGY-1 billets are considered green or blue per se but they can affect where you go afterwards. its easy enough to find exceptions to this thought, but it makes since to consider.

I'm going to start dental school next year, and I just learned about the timeline for these military scholarships. If I'm applying for the 3 year HPSP, what kind of things do I need for my application that I should get taken care of while I'm still at my undergraduate school (ex. recommendation letters)? Also, after graduating what are the chances of going to Japan? I think I read, for people in Japan, everyone usually performs at least one 6 month stint in clinics of combat zones? For the ship tours, how long are the stops in the overseas ports? Also, for the 45 day deployments each year during school, how does that work? I only have one summer after freshman year, and then it is straight school.

I'm going to start dental school next year, and I just learned about the timeline for these military scholarships. If I'm applying for the 3 year HPSP, what kind of things do I need for my application that I should get taken care of while I'm still at my undergraduate school (ex. recommendation letters)? Also, after graduating what are the chances of going to Japan? I think I read, for people in Japan, everyone usually performs at least one 6 month stint in clinics of combat zones? For the ship tours, how long are the stops in the overseas ports? Also, for the 45 day deployments each year during school, how does that work? I only have one summer after freshman year, and then it is straight school.

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If your starting d-school this next year, why are you only applying for a 3 year scholarship? I see your going to NYU, and if your set on a scholarship why take on the additional year of debt when you can just apply for the four year scholarship?

The 45 days AT are not "deployments" by any stretch of the imagination. They are simply 45 days per year that you recieve active duty pay for 1) attending school if you don't have any time off 2) doing ODS (Officer basic training) or clerkships. So like you, we had our first year off after our 1st year. I attended ODS during that summer and since then have spent my time here at school or on a clerkship during breaks (x-mas, spring, etc) it's totally up to you and what you want out of your 45 days.

If your starting d-school this next year, why are you only applying for a 3 year scholarship? I see your going to NYU, and if your set on a scholarship why take on the additional year of debt when you can just apply for the four year scholarship?

The 45 days AT are not "deployments" by any stretch of the imagination. They are simply 45 days per year that you recieve active duty pay for 1) attending school if you don't have any time off 2) doing ODS (Officer basic training) or clerkships. So like you, we had our first year off after our 1st year. I attended ODS during that summer and since then have spent my time here at school or on a clerkship during breaks (x-mas, spring, etc) it's totally up to you and what you want out of your 45 days.

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From what I understand, the HPSP spots were already given out a while ago. I thought that most people start the application for HPSP while applying to d-school so that the spots are assigned around October. I just started thinking about the military option recently, when it seemed that I was going to NYU. If I can file my application in time for a 4 year HPSP, I would definitely do it. Forgive my ignorance, what exactly are clerkships? Also sorry about the lack of knowledge about the terms, I knew the 45 days weren't a deployment, just some kind of basic training for the health professions. I didn't know you could get 45 day active duty pay for attending school. thanks for the info